EMH - Avoid or Embrace?

[VioletIncredible]

We are visiting WDW for the first time from 1/21 - 1/28 :joy:. There will be me, DP and our DS who will be 4 by then. My mom who is 77 will probably join us for a few days.

I'm trying to work out our touring plans so that I can figure out our ADRs. My question of the moment is: Considering crowd levels at that time of year, should we plan to attend parks with AM EMH or should we go to parks without AM EMH? We probably won't do anything with PM EMH because Jack will be too little to stay up late anyway.

I can't believe how complicated all of this is. I'm a planner by nature, but this crazy!

Thanks a bunch for being here to help us newcomers figure all of this out.

[faline]

Welcome to Intercot! :mickey:

We rarely use extra magic hour and would likely not really need it in January when crowds levels tend to be quite low. We did use it at Animal Kingdon on a recent trip in August and found it to be helpful due to the high level of folks who were there during that time!

[SBETigg]

If you're early risers, the AM EMH are great and you can really get a lot done. But crowds at those parks do seem to be bigger than usual by 10:30 am or so. I think the EMH are best if you have hopper passes and can go to another park if the EMH park draws big crowds as the day goes on. If you're not a fan of hopping, then avoid the EMH parks and go to the parks without EMH or the ones that had PM EMH the night before-- they seem less crowded to me on the next morning.

[Goofster]

We go a few weeks later in February and we usually use the evening EMH...only because the parks tend to close earlier (around 8) and we like to use it to have more time to walk around the park at night. Not necessarily for the rides, but just to enjoy the ambiance.

[Disney4us2]

Our first trip to WDW was when my DD was 5. We never got around to the early morning EMH. We did the later ones. We went back to the room after lunch and rested for a few hours. That seemed to help. Have fun and enjoy:mickey:

[MistressGracey]

Whichever park has EMH is the park we will avoid that day altogether UNLESS we are park hopping. The EMH's themselves are pretty uncrowded, but add in the regular crowd when the regular entry time rolls around, along with everyone from the resorts who are still there from the morning EMH's and it's just too crowded.

If you plan to park hop, though, you could visit parks ONLY during EMH, leaving when the day guests arrive, or arriving when the day guests leave (depending on if it's AM or PM EMH)...during the intervals you could go over to another park not offering EMHs that day.

Ahhh, the magic of the first visit! I hope you have a wonderful time.:cloud9:

[scooterca42]

Previous posters have it right. If you have park hoppers, the EMH can be very useful. We generally do morning EMH and move on to a new park around lunch. I do love evening EMH if you can stay past the first hour. It seems like people stick around in the evening for an hour, hour and a half, and then leave. There's nothing like wandering around Epcot in the dark with hardly anyone there! That place can get SPOOKY!

[brownie]

We've always avoided the morning ones.

[TheRustyScupper]

1) We avoid it.
2) Not like the plague, but certainly like Poison Ivy.
3) We go to the park that had EMH the previous day.

[Jasper]

We actually use both the morning and evening EMH hours because we love as much time as possible at the parks. If you do use the morning ones I would think about hopping to a different park sometime around 11 in the morning to avoid the largest crowds.

Then, considering the group you are going with I would consider skipping the morning and going for the evening EMH. I say this because all of us, including children, generally do not like getting up early. Plus, as a previous poster mentioned, the parks close early in January so if you don't do the evening EMH you may feel you missed out on something.

[darthmacho]

Personally I embrace the EMH, but I think the only way to take full advantage is to rush around during these hours to get a lot done. Seeing you have a 4yo and a 77yo, you might be better off avoiding, and going at a pace they'll enjoy more. :mickey:

[Imagineer1981]

We go a few weeks later in February and we usually use the evening EMH...only because the parks tend to close earlier (around 8) and we like to use it to have more time to walk around the park at night. Not necessarily for the rides, but just to enjoy the ambiance.

we do the same, lines are basically non-exsistant during Jan/Feb so the EMH is great just to maximize your time in the parks rather than get shorter lines. Overall though, if you go during a value season, EMH doesn't really effect your day

[Laughin' place]

Never travelled with a 77 year ol, but I know my folks (even in their 60s at the time) were no longer up for kamikaze touring.
We can seldom go off season anymore (teenagers in school), so when we go we thrive on EMH. I personally love evening EMH, but, if anything, Id recommend the AM EMH for your group. An hour or so's jump on Fantasyland, etc, will pay off, and you can break at mid day for naps or resting

[bruin1344]

the only EMH i would do is MK at night, all the other night ones are too crowded

Ive never done EMH AM but i avoid the parks that has them on that day